P a g e | 1 Emergency Plan of action (EPoA) Mauritania: Food and Nutritional Insecurity Emergency Appeal No. MDRMR011 Glide No. DR-2020-000167-MRT Date of launch: 17 July 2020 Estimated duration of the operation: 9 months Expected end date: 24 April 2021 Category allocated to the disaster or crisis: Orange Funding Requirements: CHF 1,100,000 (DREF allocation: CHF 200,000) Total number of persons affected/hit: Total number of persons to assist: 609,180 persons including 38,633 persons in target 2,000 households (14,800 persons) in the departments departments considered to be for food insecurity during the of Barkeol and Ould Yenge lean period (June – September 2020) • 1,200 households through the food and nutritional assistance programme • 800 households for which the food sources and livelihoods need to be preserved/protected and consolidated (600 households which are members of women’s cooperatives and 200 households which are members of the mothers’ clubs) Presence of the Host national Society No. of volunteers, employees, branches): The Mauritanian Red Crescent is among the most ancient humanitarian organizations in Mauritania. Its creation dates back to 1970. The National Society has 56 committees all over the national territory, 20 staff and 6,000 volunteers. Partners of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement actively involved in the operation: IFRC, ICRC, British Red Cross, French Red Cross and the Livelihood Resource Centre. Other organizations actively involved in the operation: The Government, WFP, Action contre la faim (ACF), Save The Children and OXFAM The Emergency Appeal launched on 27 July seeks a total of some 1.1 Million Swiss francs to enable the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Mauritania Red Crescent Society (MRC) to deliver food security assistance and malnutrition prevention support to 14,800 of people for 9 months in the departments of Barkéol and Ould Yenge, with a focus on the Livelihoods and Basic needs; Health (nutrition); Disaster risk reduction (DRR), Protection Gender and Inclusion (PGI), complemented by National Society strengthening activities. The food insecurity situation in the targeted area has in turn been worsened by the effects of COVID-19 (closure of borders - regional transhumance -, closure of markets, rise of food prices, etc.). Hence, this Emergency Appeal is launched to address the humanitarian needs and support recovery process. The planned phases of emergency response reflect the current situation and information available at this time of the evolving operation and will be adjusted based on further developments and more detailed assessments. P a g e | 2 A. Situation analysis Description of the Disaster Mauritania is currently faced with a difficult food and nutritional situation which is like the one of 2018. In fact, according the results of the last harmonized framework of November 20191, 609,184 persons are considered to be in severe food insecurity situation (stages 3, 4) during the lean period between June and August 2020. This is the most serious situation witnessed in the country since the Harmonized Framework has been organized/held in Mauritania (2012). In proportion to its population, Mauritania will be among the most affected countries in the Sahel, with a rate of 14.7% i.e., the highest rate all over the West African Region after The Gambia. To an already difficult situation which is characterized by recurrent cycles of rainfall deficit, are added the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and mitigation measures taken by the Government, in order to prevent its spread. In addition, the low level of resources mobilized only enabled, up to end of May 2020, to meet only the food needs of 137,000 people out of 609,180 people considered to be in food insecure, living in 16 moughataas (departments) out of the 23 priority ones. Table of the food situation in Mauritania (Source: Harmonized Framework of November 2019) According to the outcomes of the evaluation made in February 2020 by the Mauritanian Red Crescent (MRC) with the support of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Livelihood Resource Centre, the British Red Cross (BRC) and the French Red Cross (FRC) in the departments of Barkéol, Modjéria, Mbout and Ould Yenge, the rainfall deficit affects the country’s economic security and compromises households’ main livelihood activities. In addition, the 2019/2020 agro-pastoral campaign in Mauritania was characterized by a poor space-temporal distribution of the rains and a strong biomass anomaly which led to a drop in agricultural production and a shortage of pasture in most areas of the country. The biomass analysis conducted in October 2019 (after the rainy period) by ACF indicated a situation comparable to the drought of 2011/2012. Indeed, according to information provided by ACF and the Food & Nutrition Security Working Group (SA&N) (FSNGW), the biomass production observed in late August 2019 was at its lowest level ever recorded since 1998. The situation slightly improved after the late rains and reached levels which were similar to those recorded in 2011 which were nonetheless very worrying. Most affected regions are located in Gorgol, Guidimakha, Brakna, Trarza, Assaba, Hodh El Gharbi. Biomass profile (as on 22nd October 2019) showing the production for 2019 (thick green line) compared to the average profile (thin green line) as well as to the variability and maximum and minimum levels calculated over the period 1998-2019, (Source ACF. 2019) 1 It should be noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harmonized Framework could not be carried for the month of March. Therefore, the data from the Harmonized Framework of November 2019 are used as official data for the food situation. P a g e | 3 That drought situation resulted in a dramatic food and nutrition crisis which was also characterized by a permanent deterioration of livelihoods all over the country, but more particularly in the departments of Barkéol, Moudjéria, Mbout and Ould Yenge. In addition, in June 2020, only 22.4% of population (137,000 out of 609,180 people) in food insecurity situation was being assisted by WFP, STC, ACF, OXFAM. This left a huge gap in the humanitarian response to address immediate needs. To an already difficult situation which is characterized by recurrent cycles of rainfall deficit are added the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and mitigation measures taken by the Government, in order to prevent its spread, such as closure of borders, movement restrictions between regions or the closure of weekly markets, All these measures are impacting on already food-insecure people in the intervention area2, either in food access (due to rising basic grain prices3) or in their livelihoods and income sources (for both pastoral and agricultural households due to limited inter-regional transhumance, the rising of prices or the Barkéol in Assaba region (February 2020). Source: MRC / IFRC unavailability of agricultural inputs, as well as for assessment team. households relaying on weekly markets and on cross-border trade or on seasonal migration). Summary of the current response Overview of the Host National Society’s action The Mauritanian Red Crescent was among the first humanitarian organizations in Mauritania and it was created in December 1970. MRC is represented in all concerned/affected departments through its local committees (56) and its community volunteers (4,000). The National Society (NS) has permanent collaboration ties with all the country’s humanitarian actors like UNICEF, WFP, FAO and NGOs. As an auxiliary to the State, the NS plays a special role in its work with various government departments and commissions. In addition, as a member of the RC/RC Movement, the MRC also benefits from the technical and financial support of IFRC, ICRC, the Livelihood Centre and partner National Societies (PNS) such as FRC and BRC. As defined by its statute, the NS aims to relieve the suffering of populations who are victims of disasters and humanitarian crisis. During the last few years, with the support of the members of the Movement, particularly IFRC and the FRC, MRC carried out several response operations to the food and nutritional crisis while supporting the system of recovery and building of resilience in several regions in Mauritania, notably in Brakna, Tagant, Assaba, Hodh, Gorgol and Guidimagha. Mostly, MRC was an important actor with respect to the 2011-2013 drought plans by participating in them through the launch of emergency food security calls in 2012, 2015 and 2018 and of the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) operation in 2017 and 2019. In February 2020, the MRC carried out a needs assessment of the food and nutritional situation at the community level in four regions of the South, the East and Centre of the country, notably in the departments of Modjéria in Tagant, Barkeol in Assaba, Mbout in Gorgol and Ould Yenge in Guidimagha. The purpose of the assessment was to fill information gaps regarding the needs of households affected by droughts. The evaluation was made with the support of MRC’s technical and financial partners that belong to the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement (RC/RC Movement), 2 According to WFP Country Brief for Mauritania, published in April 2020, “the emergence of COVID-19 are currently threatening lives and livelihoods of thousands of people in Mauritania along with the trading networks they rely on for survival…The potential impact on already food-insecure people is hugely concerning, projecting up to 1.4 million people expected to be in need of assistance during the lean season”. 3 Compared to the five-year average, the highest increases in staple cereal prices (over 25%) are observed in Sierra Leone, Senegal, southern Mauritania and the Central African Republic.